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SIMA Image Award Tickets on sale

By Press ReleasesJanuary 12, 2011 5:39 AM

TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR THE SURF INDUSTRY’S SIMA IMAGE AWARDS

- Sal Masekela & Pat Parnell to Host SIMA Image Awards Ceremony -

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (JANUARY 10, 2011) —The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is proud to announce that tickets are now on sale for the SIMA Image Awards, which will honor the best of the surf industry from 2010. The highly anticipated awards ceremony will take place Thursday, February 3, 2011, at the House of Blues Anaheim and will be hosted by the entertaining Sal Masekela and Pat Parnell. The doors will open at 7:00 P.M. and all surf manufacturers and specialty retailers are encouraged to gather their crew and come celebrate the best in the industry.

“On behalf of the SIMA Board of Directors, we could not be more excited about the energy and inspiration surrounding this year’s SIMA Image Awards as the evening of excellence draws near,” says Doug Palladini, SIMA President and VP of Marketing for Vans. “With an impressive lineup of nominees and this being the first time the SIMA Image Awards has been hosted stateside, the demand for tickets is high. We look forward to crowning the winners and seeing the industry unite as we celebrate the best of the best.”

Tickets will be sold on a first-come first-served basis. General Admission Tickets are $50 per person and VIP Tickets are $150 per person. VIP Tickets will feature premier seating in the upper loge area of the concert hall and cocktail service. Each SIMA Image Awards nominee company will be contacted separately by SIMA to secure Nominee Tickets. The SIMA Image Awards is a 21 and up event. Tickets are required for entry into the event and lost tickets will not be refunded. The deadline to secure tickets, if not sold out before, is January 21, 2011. There will be no refunds on tickets after January 21, 2011.

In its eighth year, the goal of the SIMA Image Awards is to identify the surf industry’s most influential companies and recognize them for their efforts to advance and grow the industry over the past year. This year, companies will be recognized in the following 15 categories.

SIMA IMAGE AWARDS NOMINEES

OVERALL AWARDS

Breakthrough Brand of the Year

Criteria: Recognizing the small- to mid-size men’s or women’s brand that experienced breakthrough growth between January 1 and September 1, 2010. Consider surfboard, apparel, footwear, wetsuit and accessory brands that had a breakthrough year through product development and/or increased brand recognition and appeal. Nominated companies can be new or established brands, but must have annual U.S. sales of at least $1 million and no more than $25 million.

ambsn

Analog Clothing

OluKai

Quiksilver Waterman Collection

Rusty

Breakthrough Retailer of the Year

Criteria: Recognizing the specialty retailer with 15 U.S. brick and mortar doors or less that experienced success in 2010 between January 1 and September 1, 2010. Consider the specialty retailer that had a breakthrough year in terms of sales and increased store recognition and appeal.

Brave New World

Coastal Edge

Farias Surf & Sport

Hanger 94

Hobie

MEN’S AWARDS

Men’s Marketing Campaign of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the men’s apparel, footwear, wetsuit, hardgoods, accessory or media brand that produced the most creative marketing campaign in 2010. Consider men’s brands that displayed a creative, cohesive and consistent brand message in print, digital and point-of-purchase materials. Campaign must have first appeared in consumer print publications with an on-sale date between January 1 and September 2010 (approx. the September or October issues of endemic magazines.)

…Lost’s “shitty & witty” Campaign

Hurley’s “Phantom: True Performance” Campaign

Nixon’s “Impressions” Campaign

Rip Curl’s “MIRAGE: Like Wearing Nothing” Campaign

Sanuk’s “Cut & Paste” Campaign

Men’s Apparel Brand of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the men’s apparel brand that featured the most exciting designs, increased its brand appeal, and grew its business between January 1 and September 1, 2010.

Billabong

Hurley

Quiksilver

RVCA

Volcom

Men’s Boardshort of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the boardshort product from Spring or Fall 2010 product lines (at retail between January 1 and September 1, 2010) that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation.

Cypher Brigg by Quiksilver

Hyperfreak by O’Neill

MIRAGE Boardshort by Rip Curl

Phantom by Hurley

PX1 by Billabong

Men’s Retailer of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the specialty retailer that featured the best selection, product mix and merchandising in the men’s category between January 1 and September 1, 2010.

17th Street Surf Shop

BC Surf & Sport, Fort Lauderdale

Jack’s Surfboards, Huntington Beach

Spyder Surf Shop, Pacific Coast Highway, Hermosa Beach

Surfside Sports, Costa Mesa

WOMEN’S AWARDS

Women’s Marketing Campaign of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the women’s apparel, swimwear, footwear, wetsuit, hardgoods, accessory and media brand that produced the most creative marketing campaign in 2010. Consider women’s brands that displayed a creative, cohesive and consistent brand message in print, digital and point-of-purchase materials. Campaign must have first appeared in consumer print publications with an on-sale date between January 1 and September 1, 2010 (approx. the September or October issues of endemic magazines.)

Billabong’s “Almost Famous” Campaign

Insight’s “Repeat After Me: I Am Free” Campaign

Nixon’s “Impressions” Campaign

Roxy’s “Cynthia Rowley for ROXY” Campaign

Volcom’s “Five Speed Fever” Campaign

Women’s Apparel Brand of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the women’s apparel brand that featured the most exciting designs, increased its brand appeal, and grew its business between January 1 and September 1, 2010.

Billabong

Insight

O’Neill Girls

Roxy

Volcom

Women’s Swim Brand of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the women’s swim brand that featured the most exciting designs, increased its brand appeal, and grew its business between January 1 and September 1, 2010.

Billabong

Hurley

L*Space

Vitamin A by Amahlia Stevens

Volcom

Women’s Retailer of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the specialty retailer that featured the best selection, product mix and merchandising in the women’s category between January 1 and September 1, 2010.

Hansens Surfboards, Encinitas

Jack’s Girls, Huntington Beach

Surf Diva Boutique, La Jolla

Surf Ride

Surfside Sports, Costa Mesa

PRODUCT AWARDS

Accessory Product of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the accessory product from Spring or Fall 2010 product lines (at retail between January 1 and September 1, 2010) that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation. Accessory products such as watches, eyewear, bags, fins, etc. can be considered.

CERAMIC 51-30 by Nixon

Cypher PS+ Heat Vest by Quiksilver

Infiniti Drylock Boot by Xcel

Roc Nation Aviator by Skullcandy

SurfSkates by …Lost

Environmental Product of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the most exciting, appealing and/or innovative environmental surf product from Spring or Fall 2010 product lines (at retail between January 1 and September 1, 2010). Consider apparel, footwear, accessory, wetsuit, surfboard or any other surf-related product that was created to lessen the impact on the environment, whether through its manufacturing process, materials or usage of the product itself.

Green Foam Blanks by Green Foam

RASTA Project by Sanuk

Recycled Boardshort Series by Billabong

The Ugandal by Reef

V.co-logical T-shirts with a Reduced Carbon Footprint by Volcom

Footwear Product of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the footwear product from Spring or Fall 2010 product lines (at retail between January 1 and September 1, 2010) that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation.

Kia’i Trainer by OluKai

Lucent Creedlers by Volcom

Playa Negra by Reef

Vans Surfsiders by Vans

Yoga Mat Sandal by Sanuk

Surfboard of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the surfboard model from the Spring or Fall 2010 product lines (at retail between January 1 and September 1, 2010) that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation.

Dwart by Rusty

The Dominator by Firewire

The Dumpster Diver by Channel Islands Surfboards

Scorcher Series by …Lost

SUP 12’6 Race by C4 Waterman

Wetsuit of the Year

Criteria: Awarded to the wetsuit from Spring or Fall 2010 product lines (at retail between January 1 and September 1, 2010) that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation.

Cypher DS by Quiksilver

E-Bomb Pro by Rip Curl

Infiniti Drylock by Xcel

Psycho RG8-Regenerate by O’Neill

SGX Chest Zip by Billabong

All regular and board builder SIMA members were given the opportunity to enter their own companies or brands, and retailers, in any qualifying categories. These entries were then reviewed and voted upon by an industry panel of experts comprised of both manufacturers and retailers. The outcome of the panel vote determined the five nominees in each category. Winners are determined by a final vote open to all SIMA member companies, as well as specialty retailers. The final voting process has closed and the winners will be announced at the SIMA Image Awards ceremony on February 3, 2011.

A complete description of awards criteria, as well as a detailed explanation of the entry and voting processes and materials required can be found at www.simaimageawards.com.

The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is the official working trade association of more than 300 surf industry suppliers. Founded in 1989, SIMA is a non-profit organization that serves to promote awareness of the surf industry and participation in the sport of surfing through public relations efforts and a variety of services, educational programs and research. In addition, SIMA actively supports oceanic environmental efforts through its 501(c)(3) charitable environmental foundation, the SIMA Environmental Fund. In the past 21 years, SIMA's Environmental Fund has raised more than $5.4 million for environmental groups seeking to protect the world's oceans, beaches and waves. The SIMA Humanitarian Fund, also a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, was established to award grants to various surf or boardsport related social and humanitarian non-profit organizations whose efforts are focused on improving the quality of life, health and/or welfare of people. Liquid Nation Ball serves as the annual fundraising event for the SIMA Humanitarian Fund, and since 2004 has raised and donated more than $1.45 million to surf-related non-profit humanitarian organizations. For more information regarding SIMA, please visit www.sima.com. Follow SIMA at Twitter.com/SIMA_SURF.